Rawlings replies Kennedy Agyapong over corruption allegations

Barely 24 hours after being accused of corruption by Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, former President Jerry John Rawlings has come out to defend himself.

According to Mr Rawlings, contrary to the Assin Central MP’s claim, he [Rawlings]and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman had no interest in the business.

Mr Agyapong had alleged that Mr Rawlings and his wife were shielding a ‘dubious’ business interest of Mr Marwan, the CEO and Chairman of Air Cargo Company at the Kotoka International Airport.

Speaking on his Oman FM, the five-term MP had claimed that the Rawlingses were influencing attempts to review the contract of Marwan’s company, signed in July 2012, and which the outspoken MP believed was being abused.

“He [Traboulsi Marwan] doesn’t even allow National Security to enter his compound …. And we [NPP government] are also allowing it to continue because he is Ex-President Rawlings close friend”, he said on Oman FM Thursday.

But speaking at a Town Hall meeting of cadres and NDC activists at the Arts Centre in Accra on Saturday, Mr Rawlings denied the allegation describing Mr Marwan as ‘brilliant’ and ‘efficient’.

“I will defend him any day as one of the most efficient and brilliant minds that I have come across. He was one of the first to go into large-scale farming and the export of pineapples during the revolution. Others did the same but his operations were so efficient that he was doing much better than some of the others. He later secured an aircraft that not only exported his produce but that of other farmers,” the former President said.

He explained the circumstances under which Mr Marwan came into cargo handling and how efficient he has been pointing out that there was an attempt to spoil his good name.

“Traboulsi… left farming and diversified into cargo handling where his efficiency won him a bid to manage cargo handling at the airport. “His efficiency level was so high we could beat South Africa by 30 minutes in cargo handling operations. Today some want to spoil the names of good people just like we do in our party,” Mr Rawlings said in an obvious reply to Ken Agyapong’s allegations.

“I respect the President very much, but if he gets himself involved in this issue, I will put out every detail into the public domain!”, he vowed.